20 June 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Republican leaders have responded to a slew of suspicious packages sent to legislators and public officials last week.
In a joint statement on Monday, leaders in the Kansas House and Senate called the mass mailing a “cowardly attempt to intimidate the Legislature.” They stated that their members will “not be intimidated by extremists who look to undermine the will of the people we were elected to serve.”
“At this point, it appears over 100 elected state and legislative officials have received threatening letters filled with a suspicious powdery substance. Thankfully, the KDHE is saying the substance is presumptively negative for any biologicals. While this is certainly good news, it has nonetheless been a stressful last few days for our families and other citizens impacted by this cowardly attempt to intimidate the legislature.
We urge all of our members to please remain vigilant and cautious when opening their mail as this case is still developing. We want to thank the leaders and agents of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, local law enforcement and fire departments, the Kansas National Guard, KDHE, the FBI, the Office of the State Fire Marshall, and everyone else involved in the massive process of safely retrieving these envelopes. Many of these same people are also hard at work trying to find those behind this terrible act and we appreciate their expertise to quickly find those responsible
and hold them accountable.
While we don’t yet know who is behind this threat, our members will not be intimidated by extremists who look to undermine the will of the people we were elected to serve. We appreciate all of the prayers and support we’ve received from our Kansas communities and will continue to stand strong together to move forward.
Because this is an active investigation, we ask that all other inquiries be directed to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.”
Joint Kansas Republican Leadership Statement Regarding Suspicious Packages
The Federal Bureau of Investigation released a statement Tuesday morning regarding the letter investigation:
On Friday, the FBI was notified of a series of suspicious letters sent to public officials in Kansas. The reporting indicated some of the letters contained an unknown substance. Since that time, the FBI, alongside the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners responded to each incident and safely collected the letters.
Laboratory testing at this time has not indicated a risk to public safety. Additional testing will be needed to fully characterize the material in the letters. Law enforcement and public safety officials are working to determine how many letters were sent, the individual or individuals responsible for the letters, and the motive behind the letters.
As this is an ongoing matter, we will not be commenting further regarding our steps or methods, but the public can be assured that law enforcement will continue to keep the public’s safety as its top priority.
The FBI would also like to remind everyone to exercise care in handling mail, especially from unrecognized senders. If you see something suspicious, please contact law enforcement immediately.
Dixon Land, FBI public affairs specialist
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation, KBI, reported that the packages tested negative for “biological agents of concern” on Sunday. The investigation into who mailed the packages is ongoing.